But it would be unwise to read between the lines, especially in the aftermath of Miami's one-sided Finals loss to the San Antonio Spurs. There definitely are important messages to discern when James talks but not his future.

James once told me he is used to people parsing his words and trying to find meaning or answers in the words that were unspoken. Just because what he said now is similar to four years ago, it doesn't mean James is leaving Miami. They are different situations.

The Cavaliers failed to win a title despite year after year of trying to put together a roster that could. The Heat went to four consecutive Finals and won two championships. Miami also is well-managed with continuity and stability surpassed by maybe only the Spurs.

There are some similarities. The Cavaliers didn't have enough support for James, and it was obvious the Heat didn't either, despite two other All-Stars (Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh) on the team.

"Obviously we would need to get better from every facet, every position," James said.

GALLERY: Top 25 potential NBA free agents

Knicks star Carmelo Anthony, right, and Heat star LeBron James both opted out of their contracts this offseason and are big catches on the market. HoopsHype.com ranks the 20 best free agents for the summer. (Photo: Steve Mitchell, USA TODAY Sports)

19. C Spencer Hawes. Last team: Cavaliers. Status: Signed with Clippers (four years, $23 million). Hawes had decent stats as a starter. He would be a nice rotation center for a contender. (Photo: David Richard, USA TODAY Sports)

18. SF Evan Turner. Last team: Pacers. Status: Unrestricted. Turner was really filling the stat sheet in Philadelphia until he was moved to Indiana, where he didn't play much of a role. That trade will cost him millions in free agency. (Photo: Brad Mills Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports)

17. SG Avery Bradley. Last team: Celtics. Status: Re-signed (four years, $32 million). Bradley will make a lot of money based on his defensive prowess alone. He has shown flashes of a more refined offensive game under coach Brad Stevens. (Photo: John Geliebter, USA TODAY Sports)

15. PG Isaiah Thomas. Last team: Kings. Status: Sign-and-trade to Suns (four years, $27 million). Is Thomas a new and improved Nate Robinson? He's able to score in bunches, but is not a great playmaker. Thomas put together a great season for a bad team. (Photo: Kelley L. Cox, USA TODAY Sports)

14. C Marcin Gortat. Last team: Wizards. Status: Re-signed (five years, $60 million). The run-and-jump center finally found a great situation in Washington. There will be no shortage of offers for Gortat. (Photo: Brian Spurlock, USA TODAY Sports)

13. SF Gordon Hayward. Last team: Jazz. Status: Re-signed (four years, $63 million). Utah could end up regretting not signing him to an extension. The athletic and smart Hayward will be in high demand. (Photo: Kyle Terada, USA TODAY Sports)

12. SF Paul Pierce. Last team: Nets. Status: Signed with Wizards (two years, $10.8 million). You want him on the court in crunch time during the playoffs. Pierce could be a quality reserve for a contender next season. (Photo: Joe Camporeale, USA TODAY Sports)

11. SG Lance Stephenson. Last team: Pacers. Status: Signed with Hornets (three years, $27 million). Stephenson has talent, toughness and passion, and his best basketball years are ahead of him, but the antics may scare a few teams away. (Photo: Steve Mitchell, USA TODAY Sports)

10. PF Pau Gasol. Last team: Lakers. Status: Signed with Bulls (three years, $22 million). The Lakers will pretty much start from scratch this summer and we'll have to see if Gasol figures into the team's plans -- or the other way around. (Photo: Gary A. Vasquez, USA TODAY Sports)

9. PF/C Greg Monroe. Last team: Pistons. Status: Restricted. Monroe has quietly become one of the top centers in the NBA, but we saw little or no progress this season. (Photo: Rick Osentoski, USA TODAY Sports)

8. SF Luol Deng. Last team: Cavaliers. Status: Signed with Heat (two years, $22 million). The Cavaliers may have given away a bunch of draft picks for nothing to get him. Cleveland proved to be a terrible fit for Deng, who could be looking to sign with a contender now. (Photo: David Richard, USA TODAY Sports)

7. PG Eric Bledsoe. Last team: Suns. Status: Restricted. Bledsoe lived up to his mini LeBron reputation in Phoenix. He put up numbers and won in a contract year. Durability is a concern, though. (Photo: Jerome Miron, USA TODAY Sports)

6. PG Kyle Lowry. Last team: Raptors. Status: Re-signed (four years, $48 million). A gritty and aggressive point guard that should have been an All-Star this season, Lowry was the best player in Toronto. (Photo: John E. Sokolowski, USA TODAY Sports)

5. PF Dirk Nowitzki. Last team: Mavericks. Status: Re-signed (three years, $30 million). Nowitzki was back at an All-Star level after a so-so 2012-13 season by his standards. (Photo: Matthew Emmons, USA TODAY Sports)

4. SG Dwyane Wade. Last team: Heat. Status: Re-signed (two years, $31 million). Wade could technically become a free agent, but we pretty much know he's off limits for any team outside Miami. He is still a star player if health permits. (Photo: Steve Mitchell, USA TODAY Sports)

2. SF Carmelo Anthony. Last team: Knicks. Status: Re-signed (five years, $124 million). With some years left in his prime, Melo will draw massive attention should he decide to leave New York -- which is looking like a feasible scenario with the way things have gone in the Big Apple. (Photo: Russell Isabella, USA TODAY Sports)

1. SF LeBron James. Last team: Heat. Status: Signed with Cavaliers (two years, $42 million). The four-time MVP and two-time NBA champion is already one of the top players of all time. His decision can potentially alter the landscape of the NBA. He would make a contender out of any NBA team. (Photo: Derick E. Hingle, USA TODAY Sports)

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Heat President Pat Riley knows that, and when talks to James about the future, he needs to show James how he will put together a team that is filled with, in James words, "high-basketball IQ guys" and "high energy guys" who "fit into the system."

That message just wasn't for Riley. It was also for executives who plan on trying to convince James their team is the right team for him.

If James stays in Miami, he needs a point guard and low-post and perimeter help. Capable point guards can be found, and Carmelo Anthony could solve that low post/perimeter need. He's a scorer and an underrated defender.

But it requires some salary cap juggling to bring Anthony to Miami. The Heat could pull it off but it requires quite a financial sacrifice from players who are trying to cash in on one more lucrative deal.

But don't discount a James-Anthony union with the Los Angeles Lakers, who will have room to sign both if salary cap numbers fall into place.

James doesn't have to terminate his contract and become a free agent this summer. He could remain with the Heat for at least one more season, see how they add around him and go through this again a year from now.

But if James leaves Miami this season, the Heat face major changes. Though Bosh likes living and playing in Miami, a breakup of the Big 3 could prompt Miami to make long-term decisions and possibly trade Bosh for draft picks and younger NBA players.

The Heat could also try to build around Wade and Bosh but that still requires younger players and more talent. Miami has the No. 26 and No. 55 pick in the draft. They need to hit on the 26th pick, and they do not have a first-round pick in 2015.

No matter what happens, they need to look differently next season with or without James.

Game 5 in San Antonio: Spurs 104, Heat 87 -- Tim Duncan, the heart and soul of the San Antonio franchise for 17 years, has been the centerpiece of all five Spurs titles. (Photo: Bob Donnan, USA TODAY Sports)